Ten Feet Off The Ground
by theravenclawquill
Summary: In which Kono gives Steve a piece of her mind.
1. Chapter 1

(A/N) hello all! first of all. let me just say - I got so many wonderful messages asking me if I was continuing Kahuna-style for season 2. it made me so warm-hearted to hear that people liked what I wrote! :,) I feel so immensely guilty for letting people down. I was itching - no, DYING - to start writing again (even to the point of holding a figurative microscope to the screen to scour for Steve/Kono moments)... but I couldn't. my muse deserted me! bc this whole second season has just been... UGH. everything. Steve and Danny have gotten immensely more unlikeable, Kono has gotten way decreased screentime thanks to Miss Malibu Barbie, and I feel like Hawaii 5-0 has become Haole 5-0 (no hate, I'm a mainlander too - but really.) it's getting to the point where I sometimes have to walk out of the room and my roommate would call me back in when there was a Kono or Chin scene (literally the only 2 people I can watch without barfing). so it killed me to not be writing. :(

then I watched 2.05, which was that one with Kono... and I got even angrier. that was just atrocious writing, and a terrible way to re-introduce her back onto the team. so out of cathartic energy, I wrote this fic. you can almost consider me as Kono and Steve as the episode writers; and just me ranting on them haha. or you could consider Steve as Steve; there were multiple points this season where I wanted Kono to give him a piece of her mind or clock him in the face.

many thanks to Merl Laurence for the nudge to post this (I was reluctant, as you might see why LOl), and sammie for writing a better angry-at-Steve piece than mine (check that one out) that renewed my incentive to post (I was like, omg! people agree with me! hahah)

okay. freak, I went on for like a billion years just now. sorry, haha. Title from the Apologize by Timbaland lyrics... but really, Steve (writers). it's not too late to apologize!

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><p>The heavy knocks seemed to come from far away, and then slowly – as Kono Kalakaua continued to emerge from sleep – close enough to be coming from the next room.<p>

_Knock knock. _

Kono jolted upright.

From somewhere beneath the cloud of grog, she registered that the noise was coming from the front door.

_Knock __knock._

"Mm," she stretched, running a haphazard hand through her tangled hair and swung her legs out of the couch she had apparently fallen asleep in. "Alright. I'm coming," she murmured to the mystery guest.

She made the long trek to the door, and slowly swung it open to reveal a solemn man in a pair of Timberlands and cargo pants.

"Oh." Kono squinted into the bright sunlight. "Hey." She crossed her arms and inhaled sharply before deciding on a smile. "This is a surprise."

Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett frowned. His subconscious immediately alerted him that there might've been something sardonic about the way Kono said that, but he shrugged it off. He held up a bag with Kamekona's face on it by way of greeting. "Can I come in?"

Kono opened the door wider and Steve slid past her into her small living room.

"How's the shoulder?"

"It's fine."

Steve paused and regarded his teammate with a discerning eye. Her feet were restless in her leather slippers, and her long tanned arms were crossed tightly over her chest, telltale signs of her discomfort.

Steve exhaled, his heavily lidded eyes shutting as his brow furrowed. "Alright, Kono, spit it out," he demanded. "What's wrong? Why are you acting like this?"

"Like what?"

"Cut the crap. I know when something's wrong with my teammates."

The last word seemed to generate an instant response from Kono, as she couldn't suppress her light scoff and chuckle. "Right. Okay. So now I'm your teammate."

Steve bristled at the hostility in her voice. "What's that supposed to mean?"

There was a short silence. Kono shifted her gaze from the ceiling to Steve – almost surprising him with its fiery intensity. But when she spoke, her voice was as calm and even as usual. "Steve, can I tell you a story?"

Steve raised his eyebrows in wary acquiescence. "Sure."

"When I was 15, I was invited to my first surfing tournament ever. I got nervous and choked; lost in the second round. No big deal, right?"

No answer.

"Yeah, well, it wouldn't have been," Kono went on, "if it hadn't been for Brian Kurishige."

"Brian –"

"Brian Kurishige was my old boyfriend. Turns out he wasn't very happy with the results of my heats, and he started out harmlessly poking fun at me at school." She sighed. "Eventually, the teasing turned into something a little less harmless – rumors and harsh jokes and even jabs at my surf mentors… so I broke up with him."

"I'm sorry."

She shrugged. "Eh. I was better off."

Steve nodded, wondering where Kono was going with this.

"But two months later, I got invited to surf in another, bigger, tournament. I surfed 6 heats before making the quarterfinals. Right after I found out, I dragged my board out onto the beach to celebrate with my friends, and guess who was standing there – front and center?"

"Chin Ho?"

"No. Brian Kurishige." A tight smile passed Kono's face as she cocked her head and spat icily – "My _biggest_ fan."

There was silence.

"Yeah," Kono finished, shuffling her feet as she leaned against the back of the couch. "Brian was there, with a huge smile and a handmade lei for me. He gave me a hug, and – and I'll never forget what he said after that." Her eyes were lost in the distance as she shook her head. "He picked me up and said, 'I always knew you were the best. I always believed in you." Kono's eyes returned to the present. "As if he'd been by my side all along. As if he wasn't the first one to desert me when I failed the first time. As if he wasn't the first to jump back on the bandwagon when I started doing well again." With each passing sentence, her voice grew stonier.

Steve stared back at her, his blue eyes almost grey in fuming as he stewed in silent protest as he realized what she was trying to say. "Kono," he finally spoke, voice twisted in quiet torment. "That's _not _what I'm doing. And I can't believe you would accuse me of that."

"Spare me," Kono snapped back easily, her eyes flashing – once again surprising Steve with her hostility. This wasn't the Kono he knew, and it almost frightened him to think that he had done something to make her this way. "You thought I was guilty when you caught me in the car with Delano's dead lackey in the front seat. Didn't you? I want to hear you try and deny it."

Steve clenched his jaw, gaze withering slightly under Kono's fiery one.

"That's what I thought." The muscles along her clenched jaw belied her injured fury. "You didn't waste a _second_ – jumping to the conclusion that I was dirty."

When Steve didn't attempt to defend himself, Kono went on, "That's really what hurt the most. The fact that it was so easy for you to assume I did it. Not even when you were all standing there, guns drawn and pointed at me. Not even when you ordered her_" _– she wrinkled her nose at the memory of the stringy blond haole that Steve had apparently wasted no time in replacing her with – "to put those handcuffs on me. You made –" Kono stopped abruptly, surprising both herself and Steve, who glanced up at the pause. She swallowed the heat rising in her throat to keep her voice from shaking; when she spoke again, it was as if the brief moment of weakness had never occurred.

"You made me feel like a common criminal. And I know in that moment, that that's what you thought of me. It didn't even occur to you that I would never go dirty – that I would never do that to you guys – did you? There was no trust from you then, Steve; no faith, no ohana." She raised her chin in defiance, her eyes dangerous. "And there sure as _fuck_ was no team."

In the silence that fell, Steve breathed once deeply, in, then out. He ran a hand roughly over his mouth and leaned forward. "Look," he explained quietly, almost apologetically. "You were driving the getaway car. You were working with Delano's man. He was dead in your passenger seat."

"Yeah, sure looked bad for me, didn't it?" Kono responded silkily, not missing a beat. "Almost as bad as if I had been caught in front of the governor's dead body – my fingerprints on the gun that killed her." She raised a knowing brow. "Right?"

Steve let that one – an admittedly deserved hit – sink in.

"Think about how helpless you felt that night," Kono demanded. "How you thought you could never make anyone believe you, how you thought you had no one on your side. Think about how you felt when Chin Ho – someone who was supposedly your teammate, your _family__ – _put the handcuffs around you and threw you in the back of the HPD car. How betrayed did you feel?"

More silence.

"So imagine how I felt." Kono's voice was thin, quiet. "See, the difference between you and I was that, in your case, even with all the evidence stacked against you – Chin somehow believed in you. He knew you didn't do it, he put blind faith in you, and he put his own reputation on the line to help you. I don't always agree with doing that, but that's true ohana. The difference between you and I was that I didn't have that someone on my side. Unlike Chin, you weren't acting when you gave the order to cuff and bring me in. My own boss. Imagine that."

Steve was really at a loss for words now. He couldn't even formulate coherent thoughts, as the self-awareness belatedly hit him like a ton of bricks. _She__'__s __right. __Fuck._

One of Kono's delicate fists balled, then relaxed. She stared down at the ground, her long lashes brushing against her cheek. "So I was disgusted to stand there and listen to you yell at Fryer for 'messing with your team' – as if you were concerned about me this whole time – when thirty seconds before, you were in my face, accusing me of lying. Ignoring me for weeks – then standing up for me for ten minutes? – doesn't put you on my side, Steve. You don't get to swoop in at the last minute and play the hero."

Steve winced. His gaze followed Kono as she aimlessly meandered around her couch and hopped onto a barstool at her kitchen island, fiddling with a puck of surfboard wax. She didn't look at him.

And in that moment, Steve wanted, badly, to do something – anything – to make her feel better – but unfortunately, being born without the chromosome for dealing with emotional moments made it hard for him to know what custom dictated. He felt lost.

"Kono…" he started again, quietly.

No response.

He sighed and powered through, "Look, I apologize for not being… as attentive as I should've been these last few weeks. I just – I guess I thought it would be best to stay away from you while IA investigated; you know, let you rest and surf in peace. I wasn't exactly the best company for you to be keeping."

Kono finally looked at him, her expression softer. She ran a hand through her hair, her bangs falling easily back into place. She sighed, "I know. Look, Steve... I wasn't asking for a pity party or a welcome ceremony with you guys attached at the hip or anything. I just –" She stopped and chuckled mirthlessly.

Steve leaned forward. "Just what?"

She went back to fiddling with the wax and was quiet for a long time. Steve let her be. Finally, she asked, "You know those first days after I left?"

A piece of wax crumbled under her grip.

"You have no idea how many times," she went on quietly, "I would pick up my phone every morning… hoping to see one of your names. A call or text from someone checking up to see how I was doing. Even just a, 'Hey Kono, you alive?' You know? But time goes by, and I don't hear from you – any of you – in weeks. It felt like somehow everyone just forgot to care about me. Like I never really mattered. It felt like…" Her voice caught. "… like I finally realized how Chin must've felt after he lost his badge and everyone deserted him."

Steve's heart sank to the bottom of his feet. He felt lower than pond scum. He couldn't believe he was responsible for putting Kono through that – a feeling that he wouldn't have wished on his worst enemy.

"And it sucked," Kono said, voice finally breaking ever so slightly. "It really, _really_ sucked, Steve."

"I know," Steve blurted, tortured voice so low it was practically a mutter. He said it because he didn't know what else he could say. "I know. I'm sorry, Kono. I just – I don't –" he trailed off, feeling inadequate.

It had been his decision to break into the forfeiture locker and his decision to bring Kono along. Then he had gone and escaped from prison, found proof of his innocence, and gotten his old life back – but he'd neglected to get Kono out of her mess too. While he was busy being reunited with his old position, friends, and a new attractive coworker – he'd completely left Kono behind. In the mess he'd created for her.

Suddenly, Steve heard his own words to Kono, from so long ago, taunting him in his head: "I'm sorry you were put in danger today. We care for each other like a family, so please know we'll always do everything we can to protect you." Steve's throat burned with the shame. He sure as hell hadn't done everything he could these past few weeks.

"I don't know what I would've done without Chin," Kono murmured, face slightly brightened by the mere mention of her cousin (and Steve selfishly found himself wishing he could've been the one to make her eyes light up that way). "He came to visit. His car was parked outside my window every other day. He never failed to call me every night, even after working a long case with you guys. And yeah, I know it potentially could've blew my cover, and it killed me to have had to turn him away each time he reached out to me – but it meant _the __world_ to know that someone out there still cared. You know? To reassure me that I didn't, like… somehow fall off the island without realizing it." A small smile broke on her face, and she laughed slightly.

This only made Steve feel worse. _Fuck._"It should've been me, Kono," he insisted fervently. "Or Danny. We should've been there for you."

Kono's face hardened again. "It's okay," she responded flatly. "Because of all this, I learned who I could really count on."

Steve winced at the sting. "Don't say that."

"And why the hell not?" Kono's eyes flashed in anger. "Through this entire thing, the only two people that called to ask after me were Chin Ho and Charlie Fong… my cousin and the lab tech. Meanwhile, my two closest teammates who, at one time, had called me family, seemed like they hadn't so much as noticed I was gone for weeks. How do you think that made me feel?"

Silence.

"Like shit, that's how." She slammed the wax loudly onto the counter, and it rolled towards the wall and toppled over. "You want to talk about loyalty, just think about what you said to me in the interrogation room. Do you remember? Because I'll _never_," she narrowed her eyes, "forget."

Steve searched his memory, but he needn't have.

"_I __can__'__t__' __isn__'__t __good __enough_," Kono recited Steve's words tonelessly, "_What __are __you __thinking, __Kono? __What __happened __to __you?_' What happened to _me,_ Steve? Really?"

Steve gritted his teeth in shame as Kono kept talking.

"And I'll also never forget what Chin told me. He told me - '_Whatever __you__'__re __into, __I__'__m __here. __You__'__re __not __alone__ – __not __today, __not __tomorrow, __not __any __day __ahead. __We__'__re __family, __and __nothing __changes __that._'" She raised her brows, as if to say, _See __the __difference? _"I didn't need you to punch Fryer in the face for you to try to prove your point, Steve. I didn't need a bodyguard." She pulled her mouth into a thin line. "I just needed a friend."

"You don't have to say any more, Kono," Steve replied, defeated, the entire conversation somehow leaving him feeling more beaten than he did after taking down some of his worst criminals. "I was wrong. And I know it will never be enough to take away the suffering you had to go through – but I'm sorry. I should've trusted you more. The way I dealt with everything was unforgiveable, and I'm so sorry."

Kono stared down at her hands. She wrung them in her lap as she seemed to contemplate Steve's words. She chewed on the inside of her left cheek for what seemed like forever before she finally looked up again. "Okay," she replied.

Steve was surprised. "Okay?"

"Yeah. Fine. Okay."

Kono managed a small smile, then got to her feet. She walked over to the table and curiously peered into the shrimp truck bag. Steve suppressed a grin.

"Want to eat?" he asked.

She retracted from the bag. "What'd you bring me?"

"Coconut shrimp."

"Hm." She folded her arms and gave a tiny one-sided smile of approval. "My favorite." With a childish smirk, she snatched the bag up and walked into the living room.

Steve got up to follow her.

"See you tomorrow," Kono chirped, disappearing into her bedroom and then slamming the door shut.

_Oh_. Steve stopped short in his tracks. _Okay__… _"Alright," he called out awkwardly in the direction of her closed door. "See you… tomorrow, then."

He left feeling slightly dissatisfied.

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><p>(AN) How was it? I hope you didn't hate it too much, haha. And if you read all of that, I really appreciate it! I know it got kind of dense with my vicarious ranting, LOL. this is going to be a two-parter, so there's another chapter coming next. Steve doesn't get off that easy, chortle chortle. okay, anyway. Thank you for reading! Feel free to leave a review letting me know what you think. Thank you again, and I'll update soon! :)


	2. Chapter 2

(A/N) Hello all! Thank you for clicking on the second part of this fic! I know it's been a while - but right after I posted the first part, I got swept up into finals week and end-of-sem stuff so.. ugh. But I'm finished, so I'm home and was able to update! I also was stuck on (to my extremeee frustration, haha) literally the LAST paragraph or two of this fic. I was super antsy to post this because I was so close, but at the same time, I didn't want to post until the perfect ending hit me. needless to say - that never happened (lol), but I decided to just go with my second choice ending and upload. if something better hits me, I may revise. haha but anyway, excuses aside:

Thank yous go out to: SugarMuffin08, TvFanatic97, jennyD, benito, cheerleaderE, CinderH, Koobalt, LinNicole, Anna, tdolphins27, ackeberlynn, bushy4, NaoHikuru (ah, that's amazing for a writer to hear :,]) blublubb, sphekie, Melissa, sammie28 (HAHA standardized test scores, DYING. and... RIP OUR MUSES. I've since taken your advice about fast forwarding episodes LOL :[ ), lynnrxgal, Fi, the punchline, kiwimeggles, Merl Laurence, sb4ever, CaffeineKiddo, Camille, Froggie 2, Ghostrider, francis2, Island Gem, BandBFan, bembelicious, Lotus Tears, and Terapsina!

Seriously, thank you ALL so much for the reviews. Every single one made me smile or laugh or go "aw!" or "hell yes, I agree", haha. what a great fandom you all are and I really appreciate your time and comments. :)

As for my one "critical" review by ocean - I think you probably don't watch the show enough or the plot of the last season just went over your head, lol. The idea was that Chin was pretending to be reinstated so he could help Steve from inside HPD. because he believed (even _before_ he saw Steve and heard him insist that it was Wo Fat) that Steve was innocent. because Chin is a baller. And as for Kono keeping her UC work "a secret"? It was because IA threatened that if she messed anything up, they would start investigating Steve and 5-0. So she kept quiet in order to protect her team. C'mon man, get with the program before you write reviews. lol!

Anyway, omg so sorry for the essay! I always do this. -_- On to the chapter!

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><p>It could've been déjà vu.<p>

"Oh." Kono swung open the door and greeted her visitor on her doorstep with a surprised smirk. "Hi. Are we doing some kind of daily visit thing that I forgot about?"

"Very funny." Steve registered that Kono no longer had that tense air upon greeting him the way she had a couple days ago – but she still didn't exactly look happy to see him. It was more along the lines of a deflated resignation, he decided. He held up his hands jokingly. "Can we talk? No food today."

"No reason to let you in then," Kono joked back, but opened the door all the same.

They walked over to the couch.

After they sat, they were silent for a while; Steve leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and hands clasped in front of him, Kono sat with her arms and legs crossed; both staring back at the other in almost bemused reservation.

Finally, Steve sat back in his seat and asked, "Have I ever told you I've known Chin Ho since I was a teenager?"

Kono nodded.

"Yeah." Steve smiled nostalgically and went on, "He helped me through a lot of stuff after my mom. And, ah, right before I moved to the mainland. I really didn't want to go."

"Mm."

"I didn't really have anyone to talk to back then. I couldn't bring myself to complain in front of my dad or be weak in front of Mary-Ann. It was rough. But Chin could see how unhappy I was, and every time he came to visit my dad, he would stop by and take me out to eat or for a game of football, or just to talk. I don't know how I would've survived without his friendship."

Kono's face sank into a comforting smile. "Yeah, that sounds like Chin."

"Yeah." Steve exhaled sharply. "And I remember thinking that I wanted to be just like him when I grew up. There was – is – no greater hero to me than someone who cares about someone they aren't required to."

Kono nodded again in agreement, but didn't respond.

Steve's voice was gravelly, low, as he mentally grappled for the right words. "It kills me to think I let him and myself down, but most of all – that I let you down." You are and will always be my teammate, friend, and family, Kono. Okay? I was wrong to let what happened to you get that far. And I would never intentionally hurt you – you have to know this."

Across the couch, Kono met his eye with a brief, one-sided smile.

"And, uh – I know I said I didn't bring any food, but I brought this." Steve reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out a small, felt box.

Even in the gravity of the moment, Kono burst out in a short, loud laugh. "Okay, uh, Boss," she laughed, holding up a hand to her mouth. "I know you're sorry, but I wasn't asking for a proposal."

"Very funny," Steve narrowed his eyes sarcastically, then chuckled. He tossed the box over the coffee table at her, and she caught it with an easy hand.

Kono's laughing ceased when she cracked open the box and saw what was inside. "Wow." She shook her head slightly. "Steve. This is gorgeous." She held up the thin metal anklet so it caught the sunlight. "What do these tiny numbers mean?"

"Those are all our badge numbers," Steve replied with a smile. "You, me, Danny, and Chin. If you wear it – I just wanted it to be a constant reminder that we'll always be with you."

There was a brief silence. Kono's smile stretched to her ears, and her heart spilled over with warmth. For some reason, she couldn't formulate the right words. "That's really cool, Boss," she settled on insisting, genuinely. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Plus, you know, I noticed that anklet you always wear is getting worn out."

At this, Kono's hand subconsciously dropped to her side, and she fingered the thin, worn leather around her left ankle. She fiddled with it for a moment before responding, "I actually got this the day I first surfed Pipe." A pause. "Guess who gave it to me?"

"I want to say… Brian Kurishige?"

A surprised grin. "I'm impressed."

"I listen." Steve shrugged jokingly and smirked. "Once in a while."

Kono bit her bottom lip as she pulled open the knot and slid the old anklet off.

"Hey," Steve protested, sitting up in concern. "You don't have to do that."

"Hey." Kono's gaze flickered up at him, and she smiled. "I want to." She set the leather piece on the table and hooked on the one Steve got her. The metal chain was loose enough to fall to rest along the delicate curve of her foot. "5-0 means more to me than Pipeline ever could."

Steve ignored the swell of pride that filled his heart that indicated excess emotion, and inhaled sharply. He got to his feet and brushed down his cargo pants. "Well, I'm glad to hear that."

Kono followed suit, then nimbly dodged the coffee table and surprised Steve by holding out an arm and enveloping it around his shoulders in a friendly hug. Her eyes crinkled into half-moons. "Thanks, Boss. I forgive you."

Steve stiffened at first, then relaxed. He smiled and hugged her back, belatedly realizing that this was the first time he had ever hugged Kono in the entire time they'd been working together.

It was nice.

"So I'll see you at work on Monday?" Kono asked when they separated, pushing her bangs out of her face.

"Oh, wait." Steve held up a finger, as if remembering something. "Come here." In all his excitement, he grabbed Kono by the shoulder to lead her to the door.

"Agh, shit, Steve." Kono instantly recoiled in pain as Steve's fingers accidentally dug into her healing gunshot wound.

He relented, letting go immediately. "Oh crap, sorry. Sorry, my bad. Are you okay?"

Kono laughed weakly, clutching her shoulder. "No worries." She gave him a curious side glance. "It's actually kind of cute to see you excited about something. What's up with you?"

His blue eyes lit up. "There's something else. Follow me."

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><p>Kono was standing in her backyard with her arms folded, the trace of a huge grin still plastered on her face. Her heart warmed as she replayed the last 15 minutes in her mind, after Steve had led her outside into her backyard. She found everyone she could possibly think of standing there – her family, her relatives, her police academy classmates, her friends she'd grown up with, and, of course, the friends she had now – waiting to surprise her with smiles, trays of homemade food, and huge hugs.<p>

Shocked, Kono had whirled around with open jaw, practically giddy. "Steve!" she'd cried in happy surprise, but she hadn't been able to finish her sentence before she was tackled to the ground by two of her bigger cousins (their standard greeting).

Now, dozens more greetings, hugs, and conversations later, Kono finally had a little time to herself.

She took a deep breath, beaming in contentment.

"Hey."

Kono started slightly at the sudden interruption, but when she turned to see who it was, she grinned.

"Well, hello," she teased Steve in greeting, eyes glinting. "You must be incredibly pleased with yourself right now."

Steve took a swig of his beer. "Yeah," he shrugged jokingly. "Pretty pleased."

"Modest." Kono laughed and elbowed him in the side, and he laughed too. She smiled. "But really, Steve. Thanks for doing all this. It really means a lot; more than you know."

"I just wanted you to realize just how many people care about you. So I don't want you to ever feel like you're alone again. You understand me?"

Kono held back a laugh. Even when Steve was being genuine, he managed to sound like he was lecturing you. But she humored him. "Yes, sir," she saluted, cracking a tiny grin.

Steve's mouth drew into a straight line briefly, but then he relented and chuckled at the ground. Then, so seamlessly that he took Kono by surprise, Steve extended an arm towards her and gently rolled her into the center of his solid chest.

For a while, Kono only stood there stiffly in shock, eyes widened so that the only thing filling her field of vision was the blue cotton of Steve's shirt. But then he opened his mouth again to murmur into the top of her head, so quietly she wasn't sure if she heard him right – "I'm sorry, Kono."

Kono closed her eyes and smiled. "It's okay," she replied, surprising herself by how much she finally meant it.

And there they stood in comfortable silence – at least until:

"Well, isn't this just a pretty little picture?" came Danny's teasing drawl.

"Daniel," Steve nodded in faux-formal greeting at him over the top of Kono's head. He didn't release Kono, but only shifted her body in his arm so that they both were facing Danny. "How are you?"

Danny didn't answer, but only cocked his head and waved a pointer finger from person to person. "So, what, uh," he squinted and grinned, "you two dating now or something?"

"Aw." Kono smirked mockingly and rested her head on Steve's shoulder. "Funny. One day, Danny, I'm going to say yes just to freak you out." Steve responded in silent agreement by squeezing Kono's shoulder tighter and smirking back at his blond teammate.

Danny pulled his mouth into a thin line of disapproval. "Okay," he said, throwing up his hands. "You know I'm not exactly a fan of the strange conspiratorial relationship you two seem to have going on. All right? So if you guys like keeping your little inside jokes from me, that's fine. Exclude the guy who can't eat pineapple or fight with ninja stars or climb trees. Go right ahead."

Steve shrugged. "Alright. Works for me." He turned his head to glance at Kono. "How about you, Kono?"

She nodded in mock seriousness. "Yeah, sounds good." They exchanged matching grins and laughed.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Hilarious. You two are adorable. Now, Steve, if you don't mind; can I talk to the guest of honor for a second?"

There was a brief silence in which Steve and Kono exchanged dubious glances. "Sure." Steve half-slid, half-rolled Kono out of his arms towards Danny.

When Steve stepped out of earshot, Danny stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels before opening his mouth to speak. "Kono, ah.. I don't know where to begin." He started hesitantly, before Kono's breathy chuckle cut him off.

"It's okay, Danny," she interrupted, shaking her head softly. "You don't have to say anything."

"Are you –"

"Yes."

"But I –"

"Don't." She gave him a reassuring one-sided smile and shrugged. "Really. I've had enough talking about this to last me a lifetime."

His shoulders sagged with relief. His voice dropped. "I'm sorry. For everything."

"I know."

There was a long silence.

It dawned on Kono that she, who had been so hurt and filled with so much fire just a few days ago, was so completely and genuinely detached from the issue now; when she thought of that stretch of angry time spent alone with her surfboard, she only felt peace; when she thought of her resolutely silent phone over the last month, she only felt the vestiges of wistfulness. She, who had been out for Steve's and Danny's blood only a few days ago, now wanted nothing but to bury the last few months in her past.

Danny didn't seem wholly convinced, so Kono took the initiative and tried a tentative punch on the shoulder. "Come on, brah," she smiled. "Let's grind."

And it worked. Intuitively, Danny let out a loud, good-natured groan. "Agh! Eating," he smirked, throwing up his hands as he allowed Kono to lead him back over to Steve. "We've been over this, Kono. We call it _eating_."

Kono pretended to shoot him an offended glare.

"What are you yelling about now, Jersey?" Steve walked towards them, one-sided smirk on his face. His arm instinctively wrapped comfortably around Kono's neck, as naturally as if it were something he did all the time.

This meant-to-be innocuous act was not lost on Danny, but luckily he only raised a brow and continued without missing a beat, "Oh, you know, the usual. Purposely using pidgin on the mainlander. It's mean-spirited, Kono, it really is."

As the three laughed and were then greeted by Chin and his overwhelming platter of spam musubis, Kono smiled, feeling her heart well with warmth and pride. This was her ohana: and though they were flawed in their own ways and sometimes would even do things that pissed her off – she knew that, when it came down to it, they wanted the best for her.

"Hey."

Kono felt Steve's sudden breath in her ear. She turned in surprise.

"There's one more thing."

"No way." Her half laugh, half disbelieving scoff. "Really? What more could I possibly ask for?"

Smirking, Steve pulled a small, white bag from the table behind him. The bottom was dripping with oil and the front had a picture of Kamekona's face on it.

Kono couldn't fight the loud laugh that bubbled out of her chest as she recognized what it was. "Oh yeah? What'd you bring me?" she played along.

"Coconut shrimp."

"Hm." She grinned up at Steve, narrowing her eyes playfully. "My favorite."

"Is it? I had no idea."

"Right." Kono, still smiling, grabbed the bag from Steve with one hand – and with her other, gently squeezed his right hand. This made Steve start slightly. He recomposed his face and squeezed back.

Then Kono grinned, holding up the bag. "Come on. Let's eat."

* * *

><p>(AN) How was it? I hope it was alright and that you liked it. :) Thank you so much for reading! Feel free to let me know what you thought in a review, or even if you just want to chat/rant about the show/Steve+Kono... I'm all ears. :) Hope you enjoyed!


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